Sweet Tomato Pachadi

This is a variation of the Mango Chutney which I shared earlier.

Ingredients

 Tomato

Sugar

Ghee

Cashew Nuts

Cinnamon Bark

Beet Root (Optional)

(I just happened to see it when I was shopping

 and thought it would give a nice reddish color

 to the pachadi and it sure did.

Alternatively, use only beet root, without any tomatos. )

Method

Peel and roughly chop the beet root (if using).

Squash the tomatoes.

Set aside.

Heat the ghee and fry the cashew nuts.

Remove the cashews and set aside.

In the ghee left in the wok, fry cinnamon until fragrant.

Add the chopped beet root.

Fry until soft.

Add the squashed tomatoes.

Keep stirring until the mixture yields its liquid.

Add the sugar.

Cook until the liquid is reduced to the desired consistency.

(Taste the pachadi for desired sweetness.  Add additional sugar or tomatoes as needed.)

Stir in the fried cashew nuts.

Let simmer for a 1 or 2 minutes.

The tomato pachadi is ready to be served.


The pachadi may be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator before serving.


Notice that I have not mentioned any quantity for the ingredients. It's just a matter of individual taste. The recipe can be done using 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes and about 2 tablespoons full of sugar. For the above, I used 2kg. of tomatoes and about 700gm. of sugar.

Eliche with Tuna and Cilantro

It has been awhile since I updated this blog.  So I decided to prepare a simple pasta dish which was shared by my sister a few years back.  I didn't have a written recipe to follow, so I did it from my memory of how I think it was prepared.  The result was delicious, so here goes:

Ingredients

Eliche Pasta (or any pasta of your choice)

Canned Tuna (chunks or flakes in water)

Large Onions

Garlic

Cilantro (Coriander Leaves)

Olive Oil

(Optional)

Chili Powder

Turmeric Powder

Salt (to taste)

Method

Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
(Don't forget to add salt and oil to the water.)

Finely chop onions, garlic and cilantro.

 Place wok on stove.
Add olive oil.
Add chopped garlic.
Turn on the stove.
When using olive oil, light the stove AFTER adding the oil.

 When the garlic appears softened, add the chopped onions.

 Add the chili powder and turmeric powder, if using. 

 When the onions begin to brown, drain the tuna and add to the wok.

 When the tuna is well mixed, add the chopped cilantro.

 Mix well.

 Add the cooked pasta.

 Stir well until the pasta is completely coated with the other ingredients.
Taste for salt before adding any.  (The water to cook the pasta was salted and the canned tuna is also already salted.)

Bon Appetit!
(Enjoy your meal!)